


Red Lights, Knights, and the Exalt

by Moody_Akira



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: AU, Chrobin - Freeform, F/M, I'll add more characters to the tags eventually, NSFW, Rape, brothel, chrom/maribelle mentions, courtesan!AU, fredrobin, onesided chrobin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-05 17:34:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4188765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moody_Akira/pseuds/Moody_Akira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jealousy can drive you mad...with desire or grief. And for Frederick, he hated how Chrom claimed her as his own. No...She didn't belong to anyone, but Frederick's heart belonged to the woman of the night named Roxanne. Chrom's personal courtesan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by the song "Roxanne" from the movie Moulin Rouge. Its focused on Frederick and the F!MU's relationship and there is massive onesided Chrom/F!MU.  
> WARNING: This will have some not safe for work/ 18+ content. There is also scenes of rape. I'm just warning you. Enjoy.  
> -Jadis

_Roxanne...You don't have to put on that red light...Walk the streets for money...You don't care if it is wrong or it is right._

_You don't have to wear that dress tonight..._

_ROXANNE. You don't have to sell your body to the night._

Her eyes were obsidian orbs that could hypnotise any man she came across. And she used them to her advantage to lure in unasuming clients on the streets of Ylisse and Plegia. She was cunning like a fox and her beauty wasn’t exceptional, but those dark eyes.  
The eyes that were cloaked by sheer mystery.  
She was the night’s mistress. And the soft glow of candles where she and her “sisters” worked illuminated her dark eyes. Her bronzed skin and blonde hair reminded the men whom escaped there of exotic beauty and rarity. The way she moved, her coy smile could bring a man to his knees.

And that was how Chrom knew that he wanted her for himself. The way she danced for him, how she would steal seductive glances at him drove him insane. And when she danced for the other brothel regulars, his blood boiled. He hated them. Hate and jealousy drove him to speak with the owner of the brothel, another woman shrouded in mystery, named Aversa.

* * *

 

“You want her?” she asked him with an all-knowing grin on her face. Her lips wrapped around her opium pipe and blew the smoke at the young cobalt-blue haired Exalt. His nose wrinkled in disgust. “Why do you want her? I have plenty more girls that would suit your _exquisite_ tastes Milord. Why not Olivia?”

The silver haired woman gestured over to a young woman with a long black sash dancing for one of the men sitting at the bar. Her long pink hair seemed to brush the small of her back and her movements were fluid and sensual. But her air was meek.

Chrom frowned. “Lady Aversa, I know what I want. And I do not want some meek woman to make my own personal courtesan,” Chrom huffed. Aversa was taken aback. Usually Olivia was popular and booked so far in advance that she had to purchase three new books for her appointments.

“Ohoho~. That’s certainly a first, Milord,” she grinned again and took a drag from her pipe. “Very well then. Roxanne is her name. Her price is fifteen thousand gold.”

The Exalt didn’t bat an eyelash. He moved his cape away from his belt and he grabbed his sack of gold and handed it to the owner. Yes. She was pleased now.

“Well well well. I see we have a deal. She will be at your palace in three days.”

 

* * *

“I was sold?! Aversa I’m not—“

“Roxanne, he won’t keep you forever. Once he is done with you, you can return here. He should let you return here for your shares that you rightfully deserve,” Aversa responded quickly, cutting off her cousin. She was arranging papers in her office and Roxanne stood there, angry and betrayed.  
“Aversa, I’m scared,” the blonde murmured. Tears welled in her big dark eyes. Her sheer outfit itched her and she didn’t want to leave her sisters. She never left that brothel and the twenty mile radius around it.  
Aversa looked back at Roxanne, and she felt the pangs of guilt stab her. “Roxanne…I—I’m sorry. I need the money…and he offered a great deal for you. Your things are already packed and you’re going to stay with the Exalt in three days time.”

Roxanne stormed off from her elder cousin and locked herself in her bedroom, crying. She wasn’t even a human to these pigs that came to her cousin’s brothel. No, she was a slave to the night. A slave to mens’ desires.

Cordelia, one of the dancers, had taken Roxanne in her arms and tried to console her. She had also been bought by one of the nobles in Rosanne once, and when she stopped “performing” in the way he wanted her to, he tossed her to the curb without a single piece of gold to help her fend for herself. Thank Naga she had made her way back to the Ylissian/Plegian border back to the brothel, where all of her sisters and Aversa welcomed her back with open arms.

 

But this time, Cordelia couldn’t offer her comforts and wise words. Olivia could only wipe away Roxanne’s bitter tears from her onyx eyes and Tharja had readied her cauldron to hex the Exalt. All the women knew that she was going for good, and most likely to never return to them.


	2. In Which Roxanne Lives Near the Exalt

Her transportation had dropped her and her luggage at the door of the grand palace. Chrom had been waiting eagerly for her in those three days of travel. Guards had her escorted into the main hall where their Exalt stood with a smile on his face. Roxanne never felt more nervous in her entire life. She had never slept with this man at the brothel, but she did remember dancing for him on multiple occasions, and he tipped her and Cordelia generously. This man was like no other she would sleep with. He was royalty, the EXALT, for Naga’s sake.

 “Milord,” Roxanne curtsied, not making any eye contact with the blue haired lord. She could feel her legs become shakey and her hairs stand on end. She almost forgot to breathe. Then she heard a small chuckle come from the Exalt. “Roxanne, correct?” he inquired, walking over to the courtesan. She felt a lump in her throat, but she managed to nod. As he got closer to her, her obsidian eyes locked with sapphires. They were…cold. They were the eyes of a man who lost everything. Eyes of a man who had no will to keep living.

Chrom smiled. His smile was hollow. “Welcome, dear Roxanne. I have arranged living quarters near the castle and the guards will aide you with your luggage. But allow me to show you the castle.” He held out his arm so that she could take it. Cautiously, she took his arm in her small hands.

 Chrom had toured her around the grand hall, the dining hall, and various other places that Roxanne was welcome to explore at her own leisure. But while he was speaking, her eyes roamed over the large fixtures on the walls, the paintings that hung on the there. Some were paintings of grand battles and some were family portraits of the Exalt and his family. She came across one of him and his wife, Lady Maribelle, and their children, Lucina and Brady.

Come to think of it, she didn’t see Lady Maribelle. _Did she even know what Chrom did in his spare time? Did she know that the Exalt wasn’t faithful to his beautiful, loving wife?_  


Suddenly, Roxanne felt ill. She felt dirty...like a common whore. Why did he want her when he had a wife? Why, Lord Chrom, want a dirty prostitute such as herself, when he had a lovely and poised wife, as Lady Maribelle was described in lore that she heard around the border. “Roxanne, is something the matter?” Chrom asked her, stopping all together. Apparently, she had been clutching his arm a little tighter than she originally was. She was shaking.

 

“N-No, Milord, I’m just fine. I’ve just... I’ve never been in a castle before and I’m a little intimidated to be quite honest.” It wasn’t a complete lie. She was a little intimidated by him and the power he could use against her, like the lord in Rosanne did to Cordelia. She was frightened by what he could do to her.

 

“Call me Chrom,” he said to her patting her hand with his free hand. He looked around the throne room and let out a long sigh. “And now that I look at this, I guess this is a little intimidating for someone who’s never seen it.” He looked down at the young woman holding onto his arm. He could see that she was very uncomfortable, and terrible at feigning composure.

Of course she wasn’t used to being shown around a palace. How stupid of him.

“Would you like to freshen up before dinner, Roxanne? We are having a roast tonight, or so the kitchen tells me. Would you like to join me?” Chrom asked, turning to face her.

 

Roxanne’s eyes widened and her stomach grumbled. It had been several months, almost a year since she had a large meal. “I...I don’t know if that would be appropriate, Mil—Chrom...,” she said softly, avoiding Chrom’s gaze.

She could tell his look was one of disappointment. Her whole body felt stiff. She was ready to brace herself for a blow of some kind but it never came.

“I understand. Very well then, I shall see you later tonight. The guards shall escort you back to your cottage made for you on the side on royal grounds,” Chrom replied emotionlessly. His eyes were still empty, and his smile, oh gods that smile would give her nightmares.

 

“I shall see you tonight, Chrom.”

* * *

 Chrom ate with his children that night. Lucina eagerly ate her mashed potatoes and rib roast. But Lucina remained prim and proper at the table, just like her mother taught her. Brady barely drank his soup. He was still recovering. It had been nearly a year now. Chrom had barely ate either. But he drank his wine as if it were water. Drinking helped him forget. Drinking and whores in brothels helped him soothe the wounds that were still fresh for him. He took it the worst.

 Chrom excused himself from the table once he had his fill of wine. “Daddy, you didn’t finish your food! Mom would be—“ Lucina chimed.

“Mom isn’t here. Mom is gone. Just eat your food, and Aunt Lissa will put you to bed,” he slurred.

He stumbled out of the dining room, leaving his children shell shocked. Brady started crying, and Lucina went over to his chair and held him. “Mommy is still here, Brady. She really is,” she said gently, wiping his tears.

“Th-then wh-who was that blonde lady he brought home with him?” Brady blubbered through his tears.

Her eyes went wide. Lucina couldn’t bear to tell him. He wasn’t ready to know that their father had a different coping mechanism than most others did. “She’s probably a new caretaker for us.”

* * *

Chrom was met with a lovely surprise in his bedroom when he came stumbling in. There was Roxanne, clad in the finest lingerie that he set out in her bedroom in the cottage. She lie on his bed, her hair loose around her shoulders and a sultry look in her eyes. This is why he bought her. She would offer some sort of comfort to him. Comfort that he so desperately needed.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Milord,” she crooned in her soft husky voice. Gods just her voice was just enough to drive him to her.   
“R-Roxaanne, I told you to call me Chrom,” he slurred as he began to take off his clothes. He struggled with his belt buckles and cape, since he was that drunk.

Roxanne felt guilty. She knew this was just a job, but she also was well aware that he had a wife and children, and him just running off, drunk, looking for his whore was just not right. But whores weren’t supposed to have the best morality compass, right?

 

“Very well, Chrom,” she whispered, lying him down on the bed, his shirt open and him with his small clothes on. “Just relax. I’ll make you feel good.”


	3. Roxanne's Sleepless Nights and Chrom's Lament

Sleep never came easy to Roxanne. Most nights, she lie awake, pondering the mysteries of the world or thinking about her own fate in the future. And sleeping with the Exalt didn’t help her insomnia in the slightest.

Roxanne called the palace, or really her little cottage by the palace, her home for a couple weeks now and she still felt as uncomfortable as she did on the first night she seduced Chrom. He was in his drunken stupor when he lay his lips to her skin and had his way with her their first night.

 

And night after night, he was usually drunk when he had her come to his bedroom. Lucina and Brady would already be in bed and oblivious that their father had a woman from a brothel stay with them in their home. Well...Lucina knew about her but never confronted her out of sheer disgust of her. She felt as if she stole her father away. The father she knew and loved without any judgement was being seduced by a wretched harpy, a succubus with long blonde hair and dark skin.

 Roxanne thought about the Exalt’s children as well. Did they know that their father brought home a strange woman to live with them? Surely Lucina knew since she saw Roxanne in kitchen area, sneaking a piece of bread like a common street urchin. She shot the courtesan a glare and went off running to find her baby brother since she heard him crying.

She had seen Brady a couple of times, looking around for Lucina, but he never confronted her like his big sister did. But she could feel her skin crawl every time she saw him. He was four years old and blissfully ignorant of the fact that his father was sleeping with another woman. Innocence such as his shouldn’t be sullied this early. So when the young prince was around, Roxanne stayed in the shadows, like she did best.

 

Chrom interrupted her train of thought by turning on her side of the bed and draping his arm around her. He usually insisted that she stay with him after they had sex. His face nuzzled in the crook of her neck and held her naked body to his. This was unfamiliar to her. Men had never wanted to spend more time with her than they should. It was a quick fuck and they would leave her to get dressed. But Chrom nearly had a panic attack when she tried to leave the first night.

* * *

She had gotten her robe on and was about to leave. “Okay, I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning—“

“NO!” Chrom yelled, grabbing her by the wrist, yanking her to him once again. He held her close to him. “Please don’t leave, Roxanne...”he whimpered in her wrist. It was sore and she could feel a bruise coming on. It wasn’t like she hadn’t gotten hurt at the brothel but bruises were troublesome.

“Chrom, why do you want me to stay? I did my job, now I’ll just turn—“ He was having none of it. He held her firm, but she didn’t want to fight him. He could break her like a twig.

“I insist. Just...stay for the night...” he said softly. He looked up at her with eyes that showed emotion. He was scared. Alone. Roxanne was taken aback. These were eyes of desperation, like a child’s. She took pity on the Exalt and began to undress again.

“As you wish, Chrom.”

* * *

Since then, he wanted her to stay the night in his room. And by the time she woke up, he would be gone. Only his scent remained on her skin and the marks he had left on her the night previous. Roxanne learned early to not have a connection with her clients, and Chrom was making this difficult. He wanted her by his side when they were intimate and he wasn’t rough with her, unless he stated otherwise. Emotions were not to be involved in her line of work. This was no exception.

 

She shrugged Chrom off and kept to herself on her side of the bed. She looked through the window above and the moon shone brightly. Roxanne sighed and she felt her body become cold. She couldn’t keep sleeping with him every night.

Roxanne quietly rose from the bed and began to put her clothes back on. And as she was putting her hair back into the ponytail it was in previously, she looked back at Chrom. He looked tired. Dark circles and bags were under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept in years. And as much as she felt bad for him, this was a job for her. She wasn’t supposed to stick around after the deed was done, no matter how much he begged and pleaded her. And she wouldn’t love him. No. Never.

 

She turned away from the sleeping Exalt and quietly snuck out the door and back to her cottage for the remainder of the night, where she actually slept.

* * *

In the morning, Chrom woke up alone. He desperately looked around for her, but saw no sign of her. But she left one of her bangles on the nightstand. He knew she was around, but he felt lonely. He moved his knees up to his chest and he felt tears sting his sapphire eyes. He missed Maribelle. Gods he missed her every gods damned day, and he knew she would never forgive him for what he was doing with Roxanne. With other women. Since Maribelle died of typhoid, Chrom had never been the same. The love of his life was stolen from him and he would give anything to see her again. That is until he found Roxanne. She had the embodiment of his late wife’s fire in her soul. Her long blonde hair was also a dead giveaway. But unlike Maribelle, she was cold and unfeeling when they made love. He knew Roxanne wouldn’t be like her but he tried. Gods he tried...

“Why did you leave me, Maribelle...? I need you now more than ever...” The Exalt wept.

 


	4. In Which Chrom Scares Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A filler chapter of sorts. I'll fix it after work tonight

A week had passed since Roxanne had seen Lord Chrom. He never called for her after dark and he didn’t make any attempts to speak to her. To be frank, Roxanne missed the contact with Chrom. She grew bored of staying in the small cottage. She would write out her days in a little journal that one of the maids had provided her with but that didn’t help if she had nothing to do.

Until one morning, she grew tired of the laziness. She confronted Chrom in his bedroom when he was waking up.

“Milord I must spe—AHH!!” she shrieked. He was completely naked and looking out the window. Roxanne’s shriek brought Chrom out of his trance, and he looked at her bright blushing face with an expression of mirth. It was fake but it had some amusement to it.

“Roxanne, you’ve seen me naked plenty of times. You should be used to this by now,” he chuckled.

Her face burned and she averted her dark eyes from the Exalt’s nude body. This was not the time nor the place. “A-anyways, Milord Chrom, I was hoping I could go the town and see what I could do. Y-You haven’t called for me in quite some time, and...to be honest with you, I grow a little—“

“Bored?” Chrom finished her sentence with a wry smile. He turned to face her, grabbing a blanket and wrapped it around his hips, making himself a little more decent for his whore. The false smile on his face was gone, and he made his way over to his property. Roxanne felt her entire body tense up and it was hard to breathe. Chrom was close to her, and she felt as he were going to close the gap between them.

“Milord—“

“I told you to call me Chrom,” he said quickly, almost spitting the words at the poor woman.

Roxanne flinched. “Chrom, are you well? You’re scaring me,” she whimpered. It was right then that she noticed how much taller Chrom was than her. It would be so easy for him to just overpower her and take advantage her.

“Are you bored of me, Roxanne?”

“N-no!” she exclaimed, shaking her head violently. “Of course not, Chrom.” The small woman’s body was trembling and she was terrified. She was ready to cry.

 

Chrom could see her shaking, tears were budding in her obsidian eyes and she couldn’t even make eye contact with him. A woman had never been so afraid of him. He could hear her heart pounding and she was wringing her small hands in her skirts. If he heard and the last thing he wanted her to be was scared of him.

 

“I’ll have some guards escort you to town so that you can see what is there. Aversa sent your dues from the brothel, so you can spend your money there. I shall see you tonight,” he said coldly. He turned away from her. “Mind leaving me, darling Roxanne, I must get dressed.

 

Roxanne nodded and silently left him be. The door shut behind her, the grey skirts almost catching in the door.

Chrom nearly broke into pieces when she left. He knew what he did to her was wrong. The initimidation, the making her almost crying made him feel terrible. He tried to scare her into staying with him. And her saying she was bored with him made him boil. But seeing her cry was like he watched Maribelle cry. She was his Maribelle for now. But he wiped his eyes of tears and got himself dressed. Frederick was coming soon, and he had to greet him soon.

As for Roxanne, she had never been so terrified in her entire existence.


End file.
